Not Quite Human
by Megaraptor The Scribe
Summary: [Mega Man Battle Network] What does one do when one wonders who or what they are? Dr. Hikari, a father, gives an answer to his son, which is both human and Net Navi.


**Not Quite Human  
**By: Megaraptor the Scribe

_Disclaimer: Mega Man Battle Network/Rockman.EXE/Mega Man NT Warrior is the property of Capcom and Viz Media. I do not seek to make profit from these characters. This work is mine and mine alone._

_AUTHOR'S NOTE - This is based on the Mega Man Battle Network games. It draws off of a major plot point from the first one in the series. It has no connection to the anime or manga._

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What is a Net Navi? Is it alive? Is it a living, conscious entity whose self is just as real as yours or mine? Or is it just a collection of 1's and 0's that are programmed to act that way? 

After working with them for so long, you'd think I'd know the answers to that question.

We create them to serve and help us. To some, that might be considered cruel, but the fact of the matter is, a lot of Net Navis simply don't know any better. They begin life with a pre-set personality, based on the programming and customizations given to them by their creators. Thus, they go through life continuing to act on those parameters, until they get deleted - and even then, they can easily be restored, as if they had never disappeared at all. It's like making a copy of a deleted file...

And yet, there's more. Navis don't always act on their original programming. Cossack's creation, Bass, he started out like any other Net Navi, but the experiences of his life took him beyond what he was "made to be." He became hardened and callous, unable to trust anyone, even the man who created him. And there are also Navis that wander the network alone, with no operator to command them. Net Navis also interfere with and argue with their operators quite often. It is clear that Net Navis all have freedom of choice.

And yet, that freedom can be taken away, can't it? Just as a Navi can be "reprogrammed", they can also be influenced by external forces like Dark Chips, which have the power to change the kind of people they are.

And then there's you, Hub.

That's your true name, you and I both know that. Mega Man is something that you're comfortable with, but as we both know, when you close your eyes and speak to yourself, you call yourself Hub, not the name on your programming codes.

But even with that name, you wonder if you really are the boy who died so many years ago. I wonder about it too. I wonder if I really did save my dying son, and whether or not I just made myself feel better by making a shadow of him. Are you Hub Hikari, or are you just an electronic version of him based on his DNA? And considering all the modifications you've gone through since then, is there any shred of what made my child who he was still in your program?

We can never know the answers to that, Hub. I regret that more than anything. As a scientist, it should be my responsibility to provide them. But this goes beyond simple science.

I want you to know this, son. No matter what, or who, you are, you're still a "you." No matter what the cause, no matter what brought that "you" to be what it is today, it is still there. Any happiness, sadness, anger, or any other emotion you may feel is still there. The bond you feel with your brother is still there, as is the love you have for the people you care about.

Hub, you're not quite human. You're also not a Net Navi. But then, do any of us know exactly WHAT we are? All we can know is that we are **something**, that we exist, and that we have some influence in this world that gives us value.

And whether or not you are the boy who died so many years ago, that doesn't change the fact that you are, and always will be, my son.

_Your father, Yuuichiro Hikari_

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_AUTHORS NOTE - Wheee, I'm being philosophical. Ok, I think this is pretty straightforward, but in case no one gets this, this is Lan and Mega Man's father writing a message to his son. I hope someone enjoys this, and doesn't think of it as some half-arsed attempt at trying for a "deeper meaning._

_Anyway, as always, I hope you enjoyed it. Seeya next time, true believers._


End file.
